Since at the beginning of the year, I decided to compile pre-season predictions that I found I figure that it makes sense to review them now that the year is over.
Here are the original posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Worst Predictions
Sports Illustrated picked the Mets to win it all, reaching the World Series (where they would play the Angels) by beating the Cubs. They successfully picked all the American League playoff teams but only 2/4 in the NL. Which isn’t bad but picking the Mets to win it all with their preseason roster was crazy to start with and is hilarious now.
Tyler Kepner picked the Royals to win the AL Central, which I didn’t get then and don’t get now. His World Series winner was the Cubs (over the Yankees).
Lots of people picked the Cleveland Indians to win the AL Central. This I find forgivable because the Indians this year and last felt like they were poised to be very good and then weren’t for various reasons like Fausto Carmona becoming terrible and Jake Westbrook’s elbow dying.
Anyone who picked the Diamondbacks to win the NL West. Wild Card, I’d buy, but I’m not sure why you’d think they’d leap over a much better Dodgers team for the division. The A’s winning the AL West seems crazy now but at the start of the season it wasn’t, the Diamondbacks adding crucial piece Jon Garland doesn’t make them better than the Dodgers at the start of the year.
Picking the Reds to do anything was pretty special. Even if you believed their pitching would perform well, they didn’t have anything really resembling an offense at the beginning of the season.
I’m going out on a limb guessing Jim Caple picked the Twins winning the World Series as a joke/wish so that one doesn’t count.
Best Predictions
Anyone who picked the Yankees to win! Which was actually only four writers from ESPN.
Peter Pascarelli’s predictions were the closest to reality, but in the beginning of the year they probably looked somewhat crazy. When it comes to the *L Central it’s all messy, and not picking the Cardinals wasn’t a sin by any means. The Cubs were the sensible choice (for the division, not the pennant) because nobody knew the previously very injured Cardinals pitching would bounce back like it did.
Prediction Tally
Here is a table that tallies the picks for Division, Wild Card, Pennant and World Series winners. Not everyone picked everything so no, it doesn’t all add up in the end.
| American League | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | Central | West | Wild Card | Pennant | World Series | |
| Red Sox | 14 | 11 | 14 | 8 | ||
| Yankees | 7 | 10 | 10 | 4 | ||
| Rays | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | ||
| Indians | 13 | |||||
| White Sox | 3 | |||||
| Twins | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Tigers | 1 | |||||
| Royals | 1 | |||||
| Angels | 27 | |||||
| A’s | 3 | |||||
| National League | ||||||
| East | Central | West | Wild Card | Pennant | World Series | |
| Mets | 18 | 6 | 9 | 2 | ||
| Phillies | 11 | 9 | 4 | |||
| Braves | 3 | |||||
| Marlins | 1 | |||||
| Cubs | 25 | 9 | 7 | |||
| Cardinals | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Reds | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Dodgers | 22 | 3 | 2 | |||
| Diamondbacks | 4 | 3 | ||||
| Giants | 2 | |||||
| Rockies | 1 | |||||
Conclusion
Never bet on the Mets or Cubs.
Betting on the Mets or Cubs is folly at the best of times, which neither club is currently enjoying.
I am shocked, shocked I tell you to see not 1 writer predicted the Jays would overcome the odds and a large barrel of SUCK to win it all!
You should post your predictions on fan-exchange.com. You can do standings, awards, stats and free agent predictions. They score and rank you at the end of the year. Here were my predictions: http://www.fan-exchange.com/mlb/standingspredictions.asp?userid=53&yearid=2009